Comparative Genomic Analysis of Functional Genes Between a Preussia Fungal Species and Other Taxa in the Sporormiaceae Family

The sagebrush steppe is a vital ecosystem; many species call this habitat home and rely on its health in order to survive. Recently, our lab group isolated a species of Preussia fungus from inside of sagebrush leaves, and sequenced its genome. This study explored the functional potential of the Preussia species by conducting genomic annotation and comparative genomics analyses, with a focus on plant-beneficial traits. We began with an extensive literature review to synthesize the current understanding of Preussia’s unique ecological roles in plant-microbe interactions, identifying key target genes and metabolic pathways that have been previously studied. We downloaded publicly-available genomes of closely-related species from NCBI and annotated them on the Boise State Research Computing Cluster using EggNOG, InterProScan, and PROHINT, among others. These bioinformatics tools enabled us to predict gene functions and identify protein domains associated with plant growth promotion, stress tolerance, and secondary metabolism. Subsequently, we will perform a functional annotation enrichment analysis focusing on key gene families—such as those involved in carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) production and biosynthetic clusters—identified from the literature review. Comparative genomics analyses will be conducted by aligning our annotated genome with the closely-related genomes from taxa in the Sporormiaceae family. The primary objectives are to identify potentially beneficial genes in our genome as well as measuring overrepresented or underrepresented genes and pathways that may contribute to plant-associated interactions. This approach will advance our understanding of Preussia’s unique role within the plant microbiome and also provide insights that could inform strategies for harnessing beneficial microbial traits in agricultural and conservation contexts.